Mast arrangement

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a mast arrangement having at least two single masts and at least one beam connecting the single masts, wherein at least one shear connector provided with anchor pins engaging the anchor pins in the an exterior side of the beam and/or the single mast to connect the beam to one of the single masts. Said mast arrangement is easily statically calculated, so that it can be designed appropriately for the load at a low cost.

The invention relates to a mast arrangement comprising at least two single masts and at least one beam connecting the single masts.

Medium-voltage and low-voltage networks use wooden pole arrangements which carry crossbeams to which transmission lines are attached. The crossbeams are usually steel tubes or I-beams made of steel or wood which are connected to the wooden pole arrangement via angled U profiles, said U profiles being attached by hooks to the upper end of the wooden pole arrangement. One of the possible wooden pole constructions is known as an H mast which usually consists of two single masts and a bracing connecting them.

A fundamental disadvantage of the known wooden pole constructions is that they cannot be calculated statically in a sufficiently accurate manner. A basic reason for this is that wooden poles expand to different extents due to changes in the ambient temperature and environmental moisture, For this reason, the configuration of wooden poles in respect of their thickness as well as the size and type of the connecting elements is based on empirical experimental values with the disadvantage that the designs used are uneconomical.

In contrast thereto, the object of the invention is to provide a mast arrangement of the type mentioned at the outset which can be calculated statically and can be configured appropriately for the load at a low cost.

This object is achieved by a mast arrangement having the features of claim Preferred embodiments of the invention are set out in the sub-claims.

The term “beam” as used here and in the following is understood as meaning any mast element which has the effect of connecting the single masts and has the action of a supporting structural beam or bar.

The term “composite anchor” as used here and in the following is understood as meaning a connecting element with a core which carries a plurality of anchor pins, The core can have a symmetrical or asymmetrical shape. Oblong cores with a square or rhomboidal cross section have proved to be relevant in practical terms. However, cores configured as polyhedra or other symmetrically or asymmetrically configured cores can also be used.

The composite anchors can be configured with one or more through holes, as required, along or transversely through their core and can serve as so-called through anchors as bearings for set screws, They can also have tapped holes for screws which are to be attached to the anchor.

Depending on the field of use, the anchor pins can extend parallel to one another towards one side only or on opposite sides of the core in opposite directions. A composite anchor can also be a joint connection for two or more beams with at least two anchor pin regions acting in different directions, particularly when the core is a polyhedron. The anchor pins can have a round or polygonal cross section and can be configured in particular as pegs. The anchor pins can be configured in one or more parts from the same or different materials. Conical anchor pins which taper in a direction remote from the anchor core are particularly preferred.

It has surprisingly been found that when composite anchors provided with anchor pins are used as connecting elements, both tensile and compressive forces as well as the pushing or shearing forces which arise between the beams and single masts to be connected are transmitted in a particularly effective manner, since the anchor pins do not transmit the forces to the outer side of a beam or of a single mast but introduce said forces inside said beam or single mast. Consequently, the introduction of force largely is largely independent of the geometric dimension of the beam or of the single mast. Therefore, the mast arrangement according to the invention can be calculated statically for the first time in such an accurate manner that the choice of materials used and the material thicknesses can be determined for the first time based on calculations for the loading conditions which are to be expected.

The materials for beams, single masts and composite anchors can be selected such that the composite anchor can be pressed into the outer surface of the beam and/or single masts. This is particularly possible when the mast has in the region of the anchor seat a rubbery material which has resilient characteristics within specific limits. In particular, when the anchor pins have one or more undercuts such that the encircling edges of the anchor pin which are formed by the undercuts press into the surface of a seat produced by the pressing-in action, the composite anchor can sit firmly in the seat.

However, particularly in the case of beams or single masts made of wood, recesses are preferably provided in the outer surface thereof which furthermore preferably correspond to the shape of the anchor pins before said anchor pins of the composite anchor are inserted into the seats in the outer surface of the beam.

In a further preferred embodiment of the mast arrangement according to the invention, means are provided for securing the composite anchor which engages into the seats in the outer surface(s) of the beam(s) and/or single masts. Means of this type include in particular mechanical attachment means, particularly screws or screw bolts which engage for example directly into the beam, whether this is parallel to the anchor pins or obliquely thereto, the attachment means preferably being directly connected to the composite anchor. Suitable adhesives, for example two-component adhesives, are also included as fasteners.

Other attachment possibilities consist, for example, in securing the composite anchor to the beam or single mast by a clamp which engages around the composite anchor and the beam or single mast. Furthermore, the composite anchor can be directly positioned between a beam and a single mast, it then being possible for the beam and mast to be held together by further attachment means such as screws, clamps or the like, such that the composite anchor is held securely in its position between the beam and the single mast.

In particular in the case of two beams, but also where there is a plurality of beams which rest against a single mast and against one another, the opportunity is presented for the composite anchor to be provided with anchor pins for the single mast and also for each of the beams and for the composite anchor to engage with said anchor pins into the single mast and into the beams in order to achieve as effective a transmission of forces as possible from the beams into the single mast as well as from beam to beam.

However, embodiments are likewise preferred in which the composite anchor only has anchor pins for a single mast or beam and is connected to the beam or single mast to be connected in each case by other means. Thus, a composite anchor which engages in a single mast on one side with anchor pins and is attached to the mast, for example by a screw connection, can be connected on the other side to a U profile carrying a crossbeam, for example by riveting, by a welded connection and/or a screw connection.

When the beams which are joined together by a composite anchor at least partly rest against one another, it is advantageous for said beams to be planar in their mutually contacting regions. In particular when the mast arrangements are only produced at the site where they are to be erected, it is substantially easier to create a planar installation surface than it is to provide a profiled surface.

A mast arrangement according to the invention can optionally be provided with a crossbeam which can likewise be connected as a beam to the mast arrangement by one or more composite anchors. The mast arrangement can be reinforced by at least two crosswise arranged beams, said beams preferably being interconnected at the point of intersection by an interlying composite anchor.

The mast arrangement according to the invention is particularly suitable for single masts and beams made of wood or a composite wood material and is particularly suitable for mast arrangements with single masts made of round wood. It is precisely when natural materials are used that the advantage of calculability becomes particularly significant, especially when composite anchors are used as connecting elements at all the force transmission points between the single masts and beams. However, the beams and the single masts can likewise also be made for example of a plastics material, a concrete material or other suitable materials.

The mast arrangements according to the invention are particularly suitable for use as poles in medium-voltage, low-voltage and high-voltage networks up to 360 kV, but can also be used in telecommunications networks, for example telephone poles.

In the following, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to figures which show various preferred embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a partial view of a mast arrangement according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial view of a further mast arrangement according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a first detail of the mast arrangement shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a second detail of the mast arrangement shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a third detail of the mast arrangement shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a fourth detail of the mast arrangement shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a fifth detail of the mast arrangement shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is an isometric illustration of a type of composite anchor which can be used for the mast arrangements according to the invention;

FIG. 9 a is an isometric illustration of a composite anchor which can be used for the mast arrangements according to the invention and which has a curved, continuous anchor surface;

FIG. 9 b is a plan view of the composite anchor shown in FIG. 9 a;

FIG. 9 c is a cross-sectional view of the composite anchor shown in FIGS. 9 a and 9 b along line A-A in FIG. 9 b:

FIG. 9 d is a longitudinal sectional view of the composite anchor shown in FIG. 9 a to 9 c along line B-B in FIG. 9 c.

The mast arrangement shown in FIG. 1 is a so-called H mast having a first vertical single mast 1 and a second vertical single mast 2, segments of which only being shown in each case. The single masts 1, 2 are at a distance from one another and are interconnected at a lower portion by two rod-type beams 3, 4 which are of an equal length and are in a crosswise arrangement. The beams 3, 4 are arranged between the single masts 1, 2 and are each connected to the region, facing them, of the single masts 1, 2 at their front end by connecting means 5, 6, 7, 8. Said connecting means 5, 6, 7, 8 will be described further below with reference to FIG. 6. The connection points between single masts 1, 2 and beams 3, 4 are all located in a plane such that the beams 3, 4 are slightly curved.

In an upper portion, the mast arrangement has a horizontal beam as a crossbeam 9 which is attached to both single masts 1, 2 and extends at both ends beyond the single masts. The means 11, 12 for attaching the crossbeam 9 to the single masts 1, 2 will be described below with reference to FIG. 3.

While the beams 3, 4 as well as the crossbeam 9 are configured as squared timbers, the single masts 1, 2 consist of round timbers.

The mast arrangement shown in FIG. 2 also has two vertical single masts 21, 22 consisting of round timbers which are spaced apart and are interconnected by rod-type beams 23, 24, 25, 26 of equal length. Unlike the mast arrangement shown in FIG. 1, the beams do not adjoin one another crosswise, but are in a mutual position in the form of a cross. Their front ends, directed towards the centre of the cross, are connected by connecting means 27 which will be described in detail further below with reference to FIG. 7. The means for connecting the front ends of the beams 23, 24, 25, 26 facing the single masts 21, 22 to the single masts 21, 22 are identical to those illustrated in FIG. 1 and will be described in detail further below with reference to FIG. 6.

In its upper portion, the mast arrangement supports a horizontal crossbeam 28 formed by two parallel squared timbers 29, 31 which are attached to opposing ends of the single masts 21, 22. The attachment of the squared timbers to the single masts will be described in detail further below with reference to FIG. 3

Connecting blocks 32, 33, 34 are arranged between the squared timbers 29, 31 at their outer front ends and in the centre of the crossbeam 28. Attached to the two outer connecting blocks 32, 34 is in each case a rod-like beam 35, 36 which extends at an angle of approximately 45° and which is connected to a respective single mast 21, 22 at its ends remote from the connecting blocks, The centre connecting block 33 is connected to two beams 37, 38 which extend upwards in each case at an angle of 45° to the crossbeam 28 and the ends of which, remote from the connecting block 33, are each connected to one of the two single masts 21, 22. The attachment of the beams 35, 36, 37, 38 to the connecting blocks 32, 33, 34 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. The means 39, 41, 42, 43 for connecting the beams 35, 36, 37, 38 to the single masts 21, 22 correspond to the means 44, 45, 46, 47 for connecting the beams 23, 24, 25, 26 to the single masts 21, 22 and will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6.

FIG. 3 shows the connection of the crossbeam 28 to one of the single masts 21. A fundamental component of the connecting means used for this purpose is a respective composite anchor with a core, one side of which is provided with a concave contact surface for positioning the composite anchor against the single mast and the opposing side is provided with tapped holes for a screw connection. Provided on the contact surface are two parallel rows with in each case four anchor pins which extend conically out of the contact surface. Holes are provided as through holes for fastening screws in the edges of the contact surface. Provided in the single mast on each side for receiving a composite anchor 51, 52 are two vertical, parallel rows each with four recesses 53, the cavity profile of which corresponds to the profile of the anchor pins. To attach the composite anchor 51, 52 to the single mast 21 the composite anchor is inserted with the anchor pins into the recesses and then tightly screwed with fastening screws which are guided through the through holes.

Metal sheets 54, 55 as surface protection are tightly screwed onto the squared timbers 29, 31 in the attachment region on their sides facing the composite anchors. The squared timbers 29, 31 are then attached with two screws 56, 57 in each case to the anchor cores. If U profiles, made of metal for example, are used for the crossbeams instead of squared timbers, the metal sheets 54, 55 will not be required.

FIG. 4 shows the connection of the beams 36, 37 to the crossbeam 28. The beams 36, 37 each consist of two halves positioned one on top of the other, between which is introduced a composite anchor 61, 62 of the type shown in FIG. 8, seats for the anchor pins and the anchor core of the composite anchor 61, 62 being provided in each case in the end-face end of the inside surfaces of the halves and the halves of the beam being glued when the composite anchor is introduced. The composite anchor has on its side facing the end face of the beam a tapped hole which is accessible via an opening in the end face of the beam.

The connecting block 33 arranged between the squared timbers 29, 31 is a cuboid having a rectangular cross section. Along its longitudinal axis, it has a slot and is attached between the squared timbers 29, 31 by a screw bolt 63. Respective through holes are also provided parallel to the two short centre axes of the connecting block 33. It is thus possible to attach the beams 36, 37 to the connecting block 33 and thus to the crossbeam 28 by screw bolts 64, 65 which are guided through the through holes and screwed into the composite anchors 61, 62.

The connection of the beam 35 to the crossbeam 28 shown in FIG. 5 is largely identical to that shown in FIG. 4 with the single exception that only one beam 35 is connected to the connecting block 32.

FIG. 6 shows the means for connecting the previously described beams 3, 4, 23, 24, 25, 26, 35, 36, 37, 38 to the single masts 1, 2, 21, 22. Each beam is configured in two parts like the beams shown in FIG. 4, a respective composite anchor 73 in identical form being introduced at its end-face end 72, respectively facing the single mast 71. Six conical recesses 74 for receiving the anchor pins of a composite anchor 75 are each made in two parallel vertical rows in the single mast in its outer surface facing the beam 72. The construction of the composite anchor 75 substantially corresponds to that described with reference to FIG. 4, but has a total of twelve anchor pins instead of eight and in each case five instead of in each case three through holes in the edges of the contact surface. Furthermore, the core body has a vertical slot which is interrupted by a recess 76 in its side facing the end of the beam 72. This type of anchor will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 9 a to 9 d.

The anchor pins of the composite anchor 74 are introduced into the recesses in the single mast, The composite anchor 74 is then attached to the single mast by screws 75.

A hinge element 77 is held in the recess 76 in the composite anchor 75 by a bolt 78 guided through the slot. The hinge element has a web directed towards the end of the beam 72.

The composite anchor 73 is coupled with composite anchor 75 by a screw bolt 79 which is screwed into the composite anchor 73 and the head of which is also provided with an eye. The eyes in the head of the bolt and in the hinge element 77 are then connected together by a pin 81.

FIG. 7 shows the means for connecting the four beams 23, 24, 25, 26. A composite anchor 91, 92, 93, 94 is introduced in the previously described manner into each end, facing the centre of the cross, of each beam. These composite anchors are connected to a circular disc 99 by screw bolts 95, 96, 97, 98 in the manner of the screw bolt 79 from FIG. 6, which circular disc 99 has holes offset in each case by 90° in the circumferential direction, the screw bolts being attached to the holes by pins 102.

FIG. 8 shows a composite anchor with a core 111 which has a substantially square cross section. A tapped hole 112 is made in the end face of the core 111. Arranged on all longitudinal sides 113, 114, 115, 116 of the core 111 are mutually parallel anchor pins 117, the longitudinal axes of which form in each case an angle of 45° to the respective outer surface on which they are arranged, the anchor pins 117 extending parallel to one another on respectively two adjacent sides. The anchor pins 117 are configured conically with a cross section tapering away from the core

The composite anchor shown in FIG. 9 a to 9 d substantially differs from that shown in FIG. 8 in that its core 151, 151′ only has anchor pins 154 towards one side and webs 152, 153 are provided on both sides of the core 151, 151′ which, together with the core, form a continuous, concave contact surface 155 on the side of the anchor pins 154. The cross section of the core 151, 151′ is substantially semi-circular. The webs 152, 153 extend over the entire length of the core 151, 151′ and are each provided with five through holes 156. The anchor core 151, 151′ has a slot 157, 157′ in the direction of its longitudinal axis.

The semi-circular body of the anchor core does not extend over the entire length of the composite anchor. Instead, it has two spaced apart, but mutually aligning anchor parts 151, 151′. The interruption in the anchor body serves as a seat for the previously described hinge element which is held by a bolt inserted into the slot 157, 157′. 

1. A mast arrangement comprising at least two single masts and at least one beam connecting the single masts, wherein at least one composite anchor which is provided with anchor pins and engages with the anchor pins in an outer side of the beam and/or of the single mast to connect the beam to one of the single masts.
 2. The mast arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising seats in the outer side of the single mast and/or the beam to receive the anchor pins of a composite anchor.
 3. The mast arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising means for holding in position the composite anchor which engages into the outer side(s).
 4. The mast arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the holding means are mechanical attachment means.
 5. The mast arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the attachment means engage into the beam and/or the single mast.
 6. The mast arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the attachment means engage into the beam or the single mast obliquely to the anchor pins.
 7. The mast arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the attachment means are directly connected to the composite anchor.
 8. The mast arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the composite anchor engages with its anchor pins both into the single mast and into the beam.
 9. The mast arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the composite anchor is positioned between a single mast and one or more beams connected thereto.
 10. The mast arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the single mast and beam rest against one another in the region of the connection and are configured to be planar in this region.
 11. The mast arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising crossbeams as beams for receiving loads.
 12. The mast arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising at least two crosswise arranged beams for reinforcing the mast arrangement.
 13. The mast arrangement according to claim 12, further comprising at least one composite anchor at a point of intersection between two of the at least two crosswise arranged beams.
 14. The mast arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising composite anchors at all connection points between one or more beams and single masts.
 15. The mast arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one beam or one single mast is formed from wood or a composite wood material.
 16. The mast arrangement according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the single masts is formed from a round wood.
 17. The mast arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the beams are made of steel. 